Railway-torpedo placer.



' E. S. LAFFERTY.

RAILWAY TOBPBDO PLACER. APPLICATION nun 1110.1, 1910.

Patented May 23; 1911.

Inventor Attorneys i this application, is adapted to be employed moving train.

is a fragmental perspective showing the ERASTUS S. LAFFERTY, 0F GALESBURG, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY-TORPEDO PLACER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1911.

Application filed August 1, 1910. Serial No. 574,793.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERASTUS S. LAFFERTY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galesburg, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Railway-Torpedo Placer, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of for placing torpedoes upon the rails of a railroad track, the device being adapted to be manipulated from the rear platform of a It is the object of this invention to pro vide novel means for holding the torpedo in place, to provide novel means for releasing the torpedo, so that it may engage the rail of the track, and to provide resilient means whereby the torpedo may be held in place upon the device, and subsequently be depressed to engage the rail.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a front ele vation; Fig. 2 is a top plan; Fig. 3 is a section upon the line AB of Fig. 2; Fig. 4

manner in which the tiltable bail cooperates with the arms in holding the torpedo; Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a modified form of the invention; and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the device depicted in Fig. 4.

Referring particularly to the form of invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be seen that the device includes a body portion fashioned preferably from a pair of angle members. The ends 1 of these angle members are brought into close relation to form a shank adapted to receive the handle 2, the other ends 3 of the angle members projecting oppositely, in co-aXial relation. The invention further includes a pair of arms 4, outstanding beyond the handle 2, the said arms 4 having their ends disposed beneath the portions 3 and secured to the said portions 3 adjacent the ends thereof, as shown at 5. Another pair of arms 6, disposed in close relation to each other, are similarly secured to the portions 3. The arms 4 and 6 are provided with recesses, defined by bottom flanges 7 and end flange 8, the said flanges being located upon the free ends of the arms 6 and 4. Bails 9 are pivoted, as shown at 10, between the arms 4 and 6. The ends of these bails 9 are upwardly curved, as shown at 11, to form fingers. The bails 9 act as levers of the first order. Extension plates 14 are secured to the member 3, and

outstand therefrom, as shown in Fig. 3. Sprmgs 15 are secured at one end, as at 16,

to the extension plates 14, the free ends 17 of the springs 15 being disposed above and between the arms 4 and 6.

The operation of the device as above described, is as follows. The ends 18 of a railway torpedo, are sprung apart, and inserted into the seats defined by the flanges 7 and 8. The intermediate portion 12 of the bail 9 is then depressed, causing the fingers 11 to extend across the recesses, whereby, as seen most clearly in Figs. 1 and 3, the ends 18 of the torpedo will be prevented from springing together. The free end 17 of the spring 15 will bear upon the intermediate portion 19 of the torpedo. As will be clearly seen from Fig. 1, two torpedoes may be thus mounted in the device. The handle 2 is of sufficient length so that the device may be manipulated from the rear platform of a movin train. The device by this means is lowerec until the intermediate portion 12 of the bail, comes into contact with the rail of the track. This contact between the rail and the intermediate portion 12 of the bail will tilt the bail 9, withdrawing the fingers 11 from the ends 18 of the torpedo, whereupon the said ends 18 will spring about the rail and engage the same closely. The free end 17 of the spring 15, hearing against the intermediate portion 19 of the torpedo, serves to maintain the torpedo in place before the bail 9 is tilted; and, after the bail 9 has been tilted, this spring 15 acts to depress the torpedo, so that the same will be thrust downwardly toward the rail of the track. Another form of the invention is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This form of the invention includes a top 20, provided at its ends with outstanding arms 21, an intermediate arm 22 projecting from the top 20, between the arms 21. In the upper faces of the arms 21 and 22, adjacent the ends of the said arms, are seats 23, into which the ends 18 of the torpedo may be inserted. A pair of angle members 24 are mounted upon the elements, the lower flanges 25 of these members 24 being secured by riveting or otherwise, to the top 20. To the upper flanges 26 of the elements 24, springs are secured, these springs arching, as shown at 27, so that their free ends 28 are disposed above, and between the arms 21 and 22. These free ends 28 bear upon the intermediate portions of the torpedoes,

the springs in Figs. 4c and 5 exercising the same functions as the springs 15 of Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5,'the torpedo placer is simply thrust downwardly, the rail passing between the arms 21 and 22, and forcing the ends 18 of the torpedo out ofv the seats 23, Whereupon the said ends 18, being resilient, will engage the rail closely.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is In a torpedo placer, a handle; spaced arms secured to the handle and provided near their ends With recesses to receive the ends of a torpedo clip, the adjacent sides of the recesses being open; and a bail pivoted to the arms to form a lever of the first order, the bail having its free ends extended across the open sides of the recesses to hold the torpedo clip therein, the transverse portion of the bail being engageable by the rail upon Which the torpedo is to be placed, to tilt the bail to Withdraw its free ends from the open sides of the recesses.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

Witnesses CHARLES DICKERSON, DOROTHY Nnnon.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C.

ERASTUS S. LAFFERTY. V 7 

